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The explosion in the Elgin community was so powerful that many residents called 911 thinking there may have been a tornado or plane crash, Blackwelder said. At least five nearby homes had minor cosmetic damage.

Firefighters from Lancaster and four area volunteer departments responded.

Andrew Dys

S.C. man sentenced to life for killings

MANNING A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of killing his 9-month-old son and the child’s grandmother in Clarendon County.

The Sumter Item reports a jury found Justin Johnson guilty Thursday of two counts of murder, kidnapping and other charges. He was found not guilty of attempted murder against the child’s mother.

Johnson’s family asked for mercy at sentencing, but Circuit Judge Jeffrey Young said prosecutors showed Johnson mercy by not seeking the death penalty.

Man believed dead found in house

SUMMERVILLE Authorities say a man taking pictures of an abandoned house found the body of a man who has likely been dead for five years.

Dorchester County Coroner Chris Nisbet said the skeletal remains still wearing clothes were found Thursday. He says investigators don’t know if the man died in the home or the body was placed there.

The coroner says the man’s identity and a cause of death also have not been determined and Dorchester County deputies are investigating.